The future of Australia's native fish, like these juvenile golden perch, is in all our hands. Image: Tom Rayner.

Fortunately, much is already known about carp, their impacts and the carp virus itself. It's also pretty clear which approaches may not work. For example, people have been trying to sell carp commercially for 40 years with no real progress against carp as an invasive species at the national scale.

More needs to be known about how integrated carp control could work in Australia, what effect the carp virus may have on carp populations, if it could be released strategically, exactly what impact tonnes of dead carp might have on rivers and how they could be cleaned-up quickly and/or utilised.

So, we’re setting out to answer the big questions we are all asking as Australians who want to build a better future by working together. Throughout the process we will be communicating our progress in an open and authentic way that's realistic, rigorous and relevant – founded in the values that underpin this whole endeavour.

During 2017, the NCCP embarked on a large program of research and consultation. The two largest components of this program are: a series of scientific projects conducted by independent researchers at Australian universities; and, a series of community engagement forums (i.e., town hall events) across areas affected by carp.

Unfortunately, we can't hold events in every town, so we are making sure we provide as many opportunities as possible for people to ask questions and contribute their ideas to the NCCP process. You can do this by emailing carp@frdc.com.au or calling 1800 CARP PLAN (1800 2277 7526).